Float



Nov. 14, 1950 R. A. PHILLIPS 2,529,961

FLOAT Filed ma 23, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor Robert A. Phillips Nov. 14, 1950 R. A. PHILLIPS 2,529,961

FLOAT Filed May 23, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Inventor Hobarf A. Philiips By M @6521.

awn flaw 3% Patented Nov. 14, 1950 FLOAT Robert A. Phillips, Flint, Mich., assignor of. onehalf to Silas T. Faust, Luzerne, Mich.

Application May 23, 1947, Serial No. 750,023

1 Claim. (o1. 9 1.7

This invention relates generally to floats, and more specifically to a float comprising an endless pneumatic tube and an endless tubular cover for saidtube which is divided along a line on the upper inner periphery thereof and applied to the tube by lacing or zipper fastener, the cover having a seat portion which is made adjustable in a novel manner, and shoulder straps whereb a person" seated in the device may. secure himself firmly therein.

A. primary object of this invention is to provide a float of this character which will enable hunters and fishermen to engage in their respective sports in greater safety, the device being designed to provide ample support for a person who may accidently or otherwise find himself beyond his depth in water.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which may be very quickly and easily applied and. which will not interfere with the movement of the wearer as in walking, fishing or using a gun.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character having a seat which is made adjustable at the forward edge thereof, thus increasing the comfort where with this device may be worn and increasing the versatility of the device.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a device of this character which is collapsible into a very small space, light in weight, and gen-, erally adapted for easy transportation.

And the last object to be specifically mentioned is to provide a device of this character which is relatively inexpensive and practicable to manufacture, simple and convenient to use, and which will give generally efiicient and durable service.

With these objects definitely in view this invention resides in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail in the specification, particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a material part of this specification, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the assembled invention, the pneumatic tube within the cover being inflated so as to extend this cover, and the shoulder straps being positioned as when used by a person seated within the device as represented in dash lines;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the seat portion detached from the cover;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of this invention with the shoulder straps removed;

Figure 4- is a vertical sectional view of this device, taken on the line 4-4 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the device including the short strap attachment. member, four of which are provided in ,spaced relation on the exterior of the cover.

Similar characters of reference designate simi-,

lar or identical parts and portions throughout the specification and throughout the several views of the drawings.

character such as are used inautomobile tires,

the: valve portion of which, not shown in the,

drawings, being accessible through an opening formed in the inner periphery oi the cover I2,

Thi opening is covered by a flap M which is fastened by a button. I6, it being understood that the positioning of this openingin the cover l2 will be dictated by the nature and positioning of the valve on the particular type of pneumatic tube Ill-used with the device.-

The. cover [2 will ordinarily be constructed of any suitable material such as army duck canvas and will be formed from a generally circular and centrally apertured sheet, so that the edges thereof may be fastened by a lacing I 8 secured through a plurality of eyelets 20 on the said edges, the material being so cut and formed that these laced edges are disposed on the upper and inner periphery of the device when the same is fully assembled.

A seat portion 22 is formed from a generally circular sheet of similar material, peripherally stitched or'otherwise secured, as at 24 to the lower inner periphery of the cover [2, and it will be noted that one side of this sheet is apertured or cut away to provide a pair of collinear edges 26 and 28 and a tongue portion 39 which may be divided as at 32. This tongue portion 30 is provided With eyelets 34 arranged in spaced relation so that a, lace 36 may be used to shorten or lengthen the efiective length of this tongue portion, thus changing the relative position of the cover with relation to the said edges 26 and 28. Further adjustabilit of the seat is provided by dividing the seat as at 38 and 40 and providing the edges formed thereby with eyelets 42 and laces 44, whereby the effective length of these edges may be changed.

Two pairs of strap attaching tabs 46 and 48 are secured as by stitching to the outside periphery of the cover 12, and two elongated straps 50 and 52 are terminally secured to these two pairs of tabs, so that the strap 50 may extend upwardly to loop over the shoulder of the wearer disposed on the opposite side of the device, while the strap 52 is pivotally disposed upwardly and transversely to contact the other shoulder of the wearer. Although it is realized that this specification cannot determine the method of using this strap structure, it is considered an important feature of this invention that the tabs are disposed adjacent a line extending from the front to the rear of the cover and that each strap has both of the terminals thereof connected to one semi-circular portion of the device, that is, on one side of this line. Any suitable means may be used to secure the straps to the tabs, the drawings illustrating the provision of a button 54 on each tab, and each end of each strap is apertured to receive a button of this character.

A pair of pockets 56 are secured laterally of the cover and each pocket is provided with a flap 58 and flap fastening means 60.

The operation of this invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure of the mechanical details thereof, taken in connection with the above recitation of the objects sought to be achieved by this invention but in recapitulation it may be noted that the cover I2 is secured on the pneumatic tube In by the lacing I8, whereafter the tube may be fully inflated by connecting a pneumatic pump to the valve stem of the pneumatic tube which is accessible through the flap-covered aperture M. The wearer will insert his legs into the spaces on either side of the dividing tongue 30 of the seat and the straps 5|] and 52 will be placed on the shoulders, as indicated in Figure 1. Adjustment of the'seat may be made by the laces 36 and 44 to suit the individual needs of the wearer, it being proposed that this device may be worn without interference in walking or the use of the arms.

Though there has been described a particular embodiment of this invention, this application is limited to this particular embodiment, but it is desired to include in the scope of this invention such substitutions of equivalent structure as the replacement of the lacing l8 by a zipper 4 fastener and that this invention should be conceived as the construction, combination and arrangement of parts limited only by the appended claim.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A float comprising an endless pneumatic tube, an endless tubular coverrfor said tube, a seat secured to the lower inner periphery of the cover, and shoulder straps terminally secured to said cover, said cover being flexible and divided on a line extending along the upper inner periphery of said cover, and lacing to fasten said cover on said tube, said seat being cut away at one side to accommodate the legs of a user of the float, and means to change the effective length of the edge portion of the cut-away portion comprising a V-shaped notched portion in said edge portion, eyelets in said notched portion and a lace extending through said eyelets and tied to partially close the notch in said notched portion, a tongue portion extending from a central partof said edge portion to the adjacent portion of the cover, said tongue being transversely divided into two portions and having eyelets with a lace extending.-

through said eyelets in the two portions and tied to control the effective length of the tongue and thus to positionally adjust the edge of the cutaway portion of said seat relative to said cover.

ROBERT A. PHILLIPS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 763,518 Tann June 28, 1904 1,074,817 Russell Oct. 7, 1913 1,174,556 Franklin Mar. 7, 1916 1,824,711 De Noya Sept. 22, 1931 1,869,186 Davidson July 26, 1932 2,075,374 Tucker Mar. 30, 1937 

